Topic: Console Won't Reset

[dmaustin]

Tried resetting my Vantage Pro2 console tonight to change the time and batteries (was showing low batteries message).
This console is 10+ years old and is running firmware 1.90.
I've reset it many times with no issues.
Tonight it beeps once (should be twice) and displays changing garbage characters on the screen then freezes.
I've used the documented protocol and tried five times to no avail.
Here is a 26 second movie that shows what happens:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/or16hbpkl2ysmfr/IMG_0397.MOV?dl=0
Image of console at end of sequence is also attached.
Thank you,
Dan Austin 

[Mattk]

So I take it this console was only battery powered and not mains plug?

Obviously these are new batteries? Have you checked the voltage status of each battery?
Have you tried re-powering the console via a mains plug? 

[dmaustin]

This console has AC and batteries.
It uses AC in its normal operation.
I tried resetting by taking out batteries, removing AC, waiting 30 seconds and then replaced with new batteries and powered up with AC

[Mattk]

Then if it uses AC in its normal operation then really the question is why would it be showing low batteries? Unless

Do you have a failed mains power pack? You would have had to loose power for months before the internal batteries to flag low battery? Normally beeping twice indicates no data logger so nothing really adds up here?   

[dmaustin]

I know, I’m totally stumped. I’ve reset this unit dozens of tines in its lifetime. No issues until today when it hiccuped. I hope It’s not bricked. I opened a ticket with Davis tonight.

[davidmc36]

One of mine does that sometimes. I open it up, pull ribbon cable, reinsert, and it fires up smooth.

I have cleaned, swapped, added insulation is case the two PCB's were touching.......no idea just what is really going on. Just know it works.

Actually, that's a VP1 console that does it to me. But looks just like yours when it fails.

[dmaustin]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[dmaustin]

Lo and behold, I unplugged the console and let it sit overnight and tried again this morning and it came back to life and reset properly. I guess it just needed a good night’s sleep. Mystery unsolved but I got the result I needed.

[johnd]

Yes, I have known it take 2-3 days of total no-power before it boots properly. Not really sure what's going on there, but it does happen very occasionally.

[Aardvark]

is your AC power (wall wart) working?   I had something similar and fortunately had access to a new one and it worked. 

[davidmc36]

Yes, I have known it take 2-3 days of total no-power before it boots properly. Not really sure what's going on there, but it does happen very occasionally.

Now that you say that I think that happened to me once.

So maybe I remove some residual power when I pull the ribbon cable.

[johnd]

Yes, I have known it take 2-3 days of total no-power before it boots properly. Not really sure what's going on there, but it does happen very occasionally.

Now that you say that I think that happened to me once.

So maybe I remove some residual power when I pull the ribbon cable.

It's possible, but a ribbon cable that's not properly latched home is certainly one possible cause of a dodgy display and well worth checking - it's just not the only potential cause. Cabled console in particular (but it can occasionally happen to wireless consoles too) can be vulnerable to some sort of display lock-up, which sometimes can only be cured by an extended power-off - I can only guess that there's a capacitor in the circuitry somewhere that's very slow to discharge fully despite zero power.

[davidmc36]

Yes, I have known it take 2-3 days of total no-power before it boots properly. Not really sure what's going on there, but it does happen very occasionally.

Now that you say that I think that happened to me once.

So maybe I remove some residual power when I pull the ribbon cable.

It's possible, but a ribbon cable that's not properly latched home is certainly one possible cause of a dodgy display and well worth checking - it's just not the only potential cause. Cabled console in particular (but it can occasionally happen to wireless consoles too) can be vulnerable to some sort of display lock-up, which sometimes can only be cured by an extended power-off - I can only guess that there's a capacitor in the circuitry somewhere that's very slow to discharge fully despite zero power.

The funny thing is, has happened several times. Almost every time when power cycled. Once I did it for like the 6th time I have left it running.

Strange indeed.

[johnd]

The funny thing is, has happened several times. Almost every time when power cycled. Once I did it for like the 6th time I have left it running.

Strange indeed.

Yes, that's certainly a bit odd. Is the console an oldish one? Maybe some component on the PCB is not ageing well? The other possibility I'd thinking about is interference maybe locking up the console, either wireless RFI or a noisy mains feed. If it's a serial/USB logger you're using then one option is to run the console on battery power only and see if the issue still happens. And of course check for any nearby sources of RFI.

[davidmc36]

VP1 is at least a certain minimum age I guess. I bought three and I don't know which is which.

Seems to be no difference mains, battery, either, both.

It started after putting a Davis SerLogger in. But that logger never caused any other console any issues.

I dont recall ever doing a power cycle at any other location than desk so there could be RFI Our home office area has a lot of gadgets lol